Carolina’s backfield could be a Fantasy nightmare when Chuba Hubbard returns. (TWSN Sports)
This week, Michael Penix Jr. really shone in his MNF debut; new Bear Jake Moody came through right away, nailing the game-winning FG on Monday; and after going 4-19 as coach of the Titans, Brian Callahan has been sent packing. Other Fantasy football nuggets we’re focused on include…
Panther Backfield Could Soon Become a Fantasy Nightmare
Wasn’t it just a couple of weeks ago that we discussed how bad things were looking for the Carolina Panthers?
Well, the offense looks much better lately, and the D has been solid as Carolina has strung together back-to-back wins to get back to .500 while remaining undefeated (3-0) at home. And the Panthers have done this all without their supposed lead back, Chuba Hubbard, who has been out the last couple of games thanks to a calf woe.
His absence has allowed Rico Dowdle to emerge as an instant stud and the potential new starter, but Hubbard is getting closer and that could really put a fly in the ointment of this entire backfield. It makes some wonder whether Dowdle is a sell high candidate as we inch towards Week Seven.
As for Hubbard, just under two years ago, we thought he was a nice RB4 option, and despite a weak YPC that season, he justified our faith by matching his career-best in TDs and setting new personal highs in receptions and rushing and receiving yards. And last season, he really broke out (1,195 yards and 10 TDs) despite missing a couple of games.
Before getting hurt this season, Hubbard had posted some solid receiving work (already scoring twice with a better YPR), but his run game had regressed a smidge. As a Fantasy owner, you obviously need to know how things will play out once he returns, but we’re most likely headed to an RBBC situation, which is never good.
So if the offer is good enough, you may want to consider dealing Dowdle before Hubbard gets back and cuts into his touches.
If Hubbard returns for Week Seven, he’ll be a low-end RB4, but regardless how the rest of this season has played out, he’s definitely outperformed his projection coming out of Oklahoma State as an average backup/special team player.
Javonte Williams’ Breakout
Seeking to bounce back from a tough 2024 season, things haven’t exactly gone swimmingly for the Dallas Cowboys. Through six weeks, they have yet to lose or win more than one game in a row.
The offense has been elite, ranking first in yardage, but the defense has been even worse than it was last year, having surrendered more yards than any other team. No wonder this team has some pretty long odds (+3500 as per FanDuel) to win the NFC Championship this season.
The Dallas passing game has been superb, but Coach Brian Schottenheimer’s squad had a horrific day on the ground on Sunday, held to a season-low 31 yards. For perspective, in Week Five, the ‘Boys ran wild for a season-high 180.
In his first season in Dallas, Javonte Williams is in the early stages of a career year, but like every other Cowboy runner, he was completely negated on Sunday, managing just 29 yards on 13 totes. Even with this stinker, he’s still averaging a career best 5.2 yards per carry and has already surpassed his personal best in TDs.
Heading into the 2022 season, we expressed surprise at how low projections were for Williams, and it turns out he got hurt that year, so that sophomore season was a big disappointment. Since then, he seems to have alternated good years with bad ones, and 2025 is scheduled for the good version.
This has been a massive breakout for Williams, who was drafted outside the top 40 RBs this summer, yet has performed at a top five level. Despite having his streak of four straight games with at least 75 yards rushing snapped on Sunday, he’s decent starter for Week Seven.
Oh, and if you’re wondering who to target in a Dowdle trade, Williams is an ideal pick.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
When David Bowie released the album Young Americans in 1975, he really broke out in North America. The year before, he put out Diamond Dogs, and the track “Candidate,” was recorded on New Years Day in 1974.